ABEOKUTA—Security agencies and civil society organizations have identified substance abuse among youths as the primary engine driving the rise in terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, and violent crime across the country.
The position was reached during a seminar organized by the Department of Mass Communication, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, held in Abeokuta, weekend
The event, themed “Substance Abuse and National Insecurity: Building Responsible Youth Through Entrepreneurship,” brought together law enforcement officers, community leaders, the academics and other stakeholders to address the intersection of drug dependency and national security.
Speaking on Drugs as the Primary Driver of Violent Crime, during the panel session moderated by Daud Olatunji, a lecturer in the department, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, revealed that police investigations consistently trace major violent offenses to drug influence.
Babaseyi emphasized that while Nigeria’s youth demographic is a crucial national strength, neglecting their social and economic development leaves them exposed to criminal exploitation and addiction.
”National insecurity does not begin with terrorism or kidnapping; it often begins with small choices made by individuals, choices that gradually destroy self-control, moral judgment, and respect for the law,” Babaseyi said.
He further noted that offenses such as armed robbery, cult clashes, rape, and cybercrime are predominantly executed under the influence of hard drugs, adding that criminal syndicates deliberately target addicted youths to enforce compliance.
According to him, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, the Ogun Command is intensifying intelligence-led community policing, school outreach, and inter-agency synergy to combat crime at the grassroot level.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Spokesperson, ASN Haris Musa, who was represented by the Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, Yusuf Orisadare asserted that individuals rarely commit extreme acts like murder, terrorism, or kidnapping without an influence, or the drive to fund an addiction.
”If drug abuse can be tackled effectively, the issues of robbery, cultism, kidnapping, terrorism, murder, and banditry will be drastically regulated,” he said
He however expressed concern over the growing availability of illicit substances, including cannabis, methamphetamine (“ice”), tramadol, rohypnol, and synthetic concoctions like “skuchies” and “colos”, as well as unconventional abuses such as inhaling fermented chemical residues.
He revealed recent enforcement successes, including the conviction of a 78-year-old man sentenced to 28 years in prison for drug offences, and the burst of a meth factory in the state, operated by foreign nationals
Similarly, the founder of M19 Event Consort, Bola Solate, emphasized skill acquisition and access to startup capital as essential safeguards against youth restiveness.
“An idle hand may become a tool for crime, but a skilled hand becomes a tool for national development”, she said
In his remarks, the President of the Asiwaju Dapo Wahab Foundation, Dapo Wahab, identified hopelessness as a major catalyst driving young people into cybercrime and drug dependency.
Wahab therefore called for a balanced strategy combining security operations with community-driven empowerment.
”If we refuse to engage and empower our youths legitimately, armed robbers, drug dealers, and kidnappers will come around and empower them. Replacing hopelessness with productivity and purpose is how we secure our communities,” Wahab noted.
Mainwhile, the Center Director, Adekunle Durosimi urged parents and educators to maintain vigilant oversight of young people while charging students to reject drug abuse, focus on their studies, and leverage entrepreneurship to secure a productive future.
